Pictorial game apparatus



Sept. 4, 1934. .1 THoMAY PICTORIAL GAME APPARATUS FiledV April 4, 1935 JohzZ-'homcy Patented Sept. 4, 1 934 UNITED-STATES PICToRIAnGAME APPARATUS -VJohn Thomay, Columbus,` Qhio v'Appli'cation Abrir v4., l1933, serial no. 664,375 'A aciaims. (01.27351'51# i" This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus and more particularly topictorial puzzles composed of a'numberofinterfitting separable parts.

Among other objects, the invention aims to provide an improved puzzle of the type indicated embodying a game board or sheet formed of a plurality Vof openings, the portions of the board A orsheet between the openings being provided 10 with parts of a composite picture, While said openings areadapted to receive intertting separable game pieces, 'which bear the balance of the complete picture, so that when the removable game pieces, which may be of regular or irregular outline, corresponding to the configuration of the openings in the game board, are all inserted andfrictionally retained VinV their respective openings, one or more complete pictures will be pre- Y sented on the extended planar surfaces of the 20 apparatus. The ordinary picture or jig saw puzzle now in general use comprises rectangular sheets composed of wood or cardboard havingpictures c printed, painted or otherwise afiixed thereon, the sheet then being sawed, stamped or cut into a number of separable intertting parts of irregular form which are adapted to be fitted together by the user in solving the puzzle, the user being assisted in the operation of bringing together the 130' parts of the puzzle not only by the shape of the pieces but by the parts of the picture displayed thereon. Such a picture puzzle requires the associated employment of a. base, table-or other lplaying surface to effect the support ofthe sep- 35' arate pieces of the puzzle during the task'of fitting the'pieces together and to'maintainsuch assembled order, a further care must be constantly` ex-4 ercised toV prevent displacement of the interengaging pieces in order to avoid* the undoing of 40- completed effort in solving the puzzle through the accidental separatioricf'the component pieces.

Therefore, the present inventionprovide's'a picture puzzle wherein the separable game pieces are frictio'nally gripped by and conformto the --A further object of the invention resides in providing the yopenings of the vgame boardand the separable game pieces with tapered-adjoining wallsor surfaces so that a wedge-'like relationship will be established when the game pieces are fitted into said openings, for the purpose cfeifecting the positive support and retention ofthe game pieces in association with the game board'. Withthese and other objectsY in View,l which will appear asthe descriptionproceeds, the in vention consists in the novel featuresof con-.- struction, combination of elements and' arrange# ments of parts hereinafter fully described and pointed out in theappended claims.

`In the accompanying drawing: yFig. l is a plan view of game apparatus forme in. accordance with the present invention;

` Fig. 2'is a vertical sectionalv view taken on the plane indicated bythe line 2-2 of Fig. 1;'

Fig. 3 is a similar View of a slightly modified' form of my invention;` f

' Fig.' 4 is a fragmentary plan view disclosing a further modification; '4'

Y Fig. 5 is a lsectional View on the line 5-l5 f' Fig. 4. l Referring more particularly tothe drawing and' to the form of my improved game apparatus de'- picted' in Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the numeral 1 des-f ignates the game board proper. This game board or sheet may be formed from any suitablemateerial such as wood, cardboard, metal of composi. tion materials which possess a *fair degree of rigidity and resist flexing' orfbending' of the board under" ordinary conditions of use-and handling; The board may be of rectangular configuration,- as indicated, or of other desired marginal forms.- In the manufacture of the game board, the'sheet of materia-l from which the'latter-s formed -is stamped, punched, sawed-or otherwise operated upon to produce a plurality of stencil-like openings as indicated at 2. and inthe4 productionof these openings separable game pieces 3 are like.

wise produced from the sheet from whichjthe game b oard is formed which are adapted to' bel inserted, in the development'of the puzzle,` into said, openings and to be positively retained Vthereby against accidental displacement. A complete picture 5His preferably suitablyailixed to one of more of the surfaces of the sheet from whichthe gama board isformed priorto the formation ofthe openings 2 and the game pieces 3, so thatwhentliem4 latter are produced, they 'will each contain* a fragment of the complete picture so that when the game pieces are again reinserted into isheir'p'roper: respective openings, the composite picture will'r be presented. Thus, thev picturel may be presented to the upper or lower surfaces of the game board or to both of said surfaces, and this feature is made possible by reason of the fact that the game board is of uniform thickness throughout all portions thereof, and the upper and lower surf aces of the game pieces 3 correspond exactly with the complemental surfaces of the game board. It will be understood that the openings 2 may be of regular or irregular form. An irregular formation has been illustrated in Fig. l, but in the event a more difficult puzzle is desired, the game pieces may be of corresponding regular shapes Vso that the user of the apparatus will be required to insert the game pieces into proper openings by reliance upon pictorial or color matching combinations.

It is one of the important featuresrof the present invention that the game pieces shallt relatively tightly in the openings 2, Aso that when-this is done the entire game apparatus may be lifted, bodily and moved from' point to point c1' otherwise moved or adjusted without the game pieces `becoming loose and accidentally displaced ,from the openings in which `they are received. This endI is attained in the vstructure disclosed iii-Figs, 1 and 2 by the frictional engagement which eXistsbe-fl tween the adjacent walls of the game pieces and the openings 2. If desired, a variation of this, as shown in Fig. 3, resides in punching or otherwise producing the openings 2 s o that the walls 6 thereof will be substantially tapering toward thelower surface of the game board. The game pieces 3 are'likewise provided with taperingwalls matching the wall 6. By thisarrangement, a Wedge:- like positioning vofthe game pieces in said openk inge takes place, by which a veryeffective positioning of the game pieces in said openingsis secured and accidental displacement of the game pieces avoided. 1 This construction,as disclosed'in Fig. 2, eliminates the useof a base piece below the opening 2 as suggested by the prior art.

A-further modified form has been disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein the openings 2a' are of regular orr similar form and are provided with slits 7 by means of which a limited amount of resiliency is imparted to the walls of said opening, enabling them to grip more iirmlythe game pieces Balthan is obtainable'in the simple form of the invention illustrated inFig. 2. In Fig. 5, there hasbeen disclosed lithographed picturesheets and vr9, which are applied .to both theupperand lower surfaces of the game apparatus. The present invention'thus provides a ,pictorial game puzzle wherein the separable gamepieces.

are securely fitted into correspondingly shaped openings provided in a stencil-like game board, so

that the game pieces may be securely retained inA their inserted positions within said board andk prevented vfrom becoming accidentally displaced or otherwise unintentionally removed vfrom 'asso- I ciation with the board. This enablesthe game to be handled with convenience in that it is practin cally self-contained, and does not require a supporting base or table upon which it must be placed L, in order to be played. I am aware of the fact that game devices have been suggested by the prior art wherein separable game pieces are ttedrinto correspondingly` formed sockets or openings formed in a game board or sheet but desire toil provided with a plurality of openings extendingv transversely ftherethrough from one side to the other,`V separable game pieces conforming to the configuration of said openings and receivable therein,` said-'game pieces being completely viewable from the top and bottom of said game board, and Vthe interengaging surfaces of said game pieces` and., openings being suiiiciently tight ntting to maintain the garnepeces in said-openings independently of r`additional' means of support. l

3. AG.ame apparatus*of thecharacter `set forth comprising a game board provided Witha tmultiplicity of openings extending transversely therethrough from the top toethe bottom, separable game lpieces.formedgtov befricticnally fitted in. said openings and to completely occupy thesame, whereby said game pieces may Vbe completely viewablefrom the top or. bottroxnY of the game board and retained in` connectionfwith the latter without added means ofl support,L andfpictorialY representations applied -topsaid game board and gamepeces.v 1 Y Y y,

4,7Afpictorial puzzle comprising a gameboard formedwith a multiplicity of irregularly shaped openings. extending' through the. game board from the top to the bottom thereof, and separable game pieces conforming totheirregular configuration of said openings and frictionally inserted in thev Aopeningsfor retention inv connection with the game board without added. means v.of f support-f 5. A pictorial puzzle comprising. a game board formed with a multiplicity of substantially Auniformly shaped openings extendingy through the game board from the top to the bottom thereof, and separable game pieces conforming to the configurationfof said openingsand frictionally inserted in the Aopenings-for .retention in connectionwith the game board without added means of support.- y 'Y .y

6.v Game apparatusof the character set forth comprising a gamevboardlprovided with a *plurality of; spaced openingsextendingv therethrough fromtop to bottom, said openings `'being provided with-downwardly tapering-walls, and a plurality of separable game pieces frictionally received within said. openings and. having the outer surfaces-thereof conformingr to4 the `tapered 4configuration of said-openingwalls. v, ff 4 '7. Gameapparatus cf the character set forth comprising a game board provided .with amultiplicity ofA spaced openings havingdownwardly tapering walls, and separable game pieces formed to betightly received withinsaid openings, said game pieceshaving outer walls conforming to.

the taperofgthe opening walls, whereby when said game'gpieces Aare fully inserted in said open-1 formed from a single layer of suitable material, said board being provided with a plurality of openings extending therethrough and having the same contour when viewed from the back of the board as they do from the front, separable game pieces conforming to the conguration of said openings and receivable therein, and means formed With the edges of said opening to hold said pieces in their respective places regardless of the position of said board.

JOHN THOMAY. 

